“Once we hit our first above-80-degree day right here in Chapel Hill, all I can take into consideration are drinks which might be gentle in alcohol and zippy in nature,” says Paula de Pano, proprietor of Rocks + Acid in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. A complicated sommelier and alum of spots like New York Metropolis’s Eleven Madison Park, de Pano opened her wine store in late 2022 and highlights terroir-driven wines, with a selected affinity for low alcohol and excessive acid. “Who needs to crush a 16 % bottle of wine when the solar’s blazing?” she says. “Summer season wines for me are acid-driven, virtually mimicking the thirst-quenching traits of an ice-cold lemonade.”
Rezabal Txakoli Rosé
“This rosado Txakoli is from the Basque area of Spain the place sun-kissed and sea breeze–sprayed Hondarrabi Beltza grapes develop; however this isn’t your typical fruity and floral rosé,” says de Pano. “It’s extra savory and saltier on the palate with crunchy and tart cranberries, purple tomato skins, and orange bell pepper all cloaked with a veil of salinity. I joke that consuming a bottle of this wine contributes to my each day vegetable consumption! And clocking in at 10.5 %? I don’t really feel so dangerous crushing a complete bottle whereas vacuuming my flooring.” $18, princetoncorkscrew.com
The Electrical Chardonnay Acid Take a look at
“On the cooler, northern finish of the Pfalz, in Germany, the Model brothers have been rising Chardonnay on limestone-rich soils and turning out distinctive bottlings like this one,” says de Pano. “It’s in contrast to every other Chardonnay you’ve had—a far cry from the buttery, oaky ones, and even the steely, austere ones. The addition of 10 % Riesling offers it a zap of freshness, and the mouth-puckering wine tastes as in case you made candies out of a lambic beer. Drink it whereas having fun with a heaping bowl of chirashizushi.” $16.99, nyc.flatiron-wines.com
Controvento, “Doccia Freda”
“Enzo di Meo’s wines from Abruzzo are the bottles thatI suggest when I’ve a beer drinker branching out within the store—the wines have a definite, earthy tanginess that jogs my memory of lambic and fruited beers,” says de Pano. “Doccia Freda (chilly bathe) is equal components Trebbiano and Passerina, a uncommon Italian grape, and sees about 5 days of pores and skin contact. It’s the sort of wine that you just carry alongside for an al fresco lunch on the weekends—good with egg sandwiches and grilled rooster.” $24.99, missionliquor.com
Elian da Ros, “Histoires de Boire”
“Nobody can actually dislike Merlot after they’ve tried this wine. Elian da Ros’ property is within the Côtes du Marmandais, south of Bordeaux—a area within the shadow of its well-known neighbor, but that doesn’t cease Elian from producing wines with a lot character,” says de Pano. “Histoires de Boire is a redwine that has a spot inside anybody’s summer time cooler, however make room as a result of it’s solely bottled in magnums. Contemporary and fruity, like cherry pomegranate juice, a calming bottle is good for a pool occasion the place pizza, scorching canines, and burgers are current.” $67.99/1.5-liter, chambersstwines.com
Gaston Collard, Dosage Zéro
“I’ve by no means discovered any state of affairs the place Champagne wasn’t a beverage of alternative—if solely my funds would enable it. However for these particular days needing a celebratory bottle, this additional brut Champagne needs to be on the record,” says de Pano. “With notes of citrus pith, pear skins, and celery salt, the Dosage Zéro cuvée from Gaston Collard, primarily based within the Grand Cru village of Bouzy, is exact and crystalline in its purity of taste. Made out of 90 % Pinot Noir and 10 % Chardonnay, it’s an aperitif sort of sparkler with sufficient texture to transition from bruschetta to crudo throughout a type of fancier summer time evenings.” $79.99, yianniswine.com
